Sally Smy, London personal stylist and founder of Queen Bee Styling shares her top tips to help on what to wear for your personal branding shoot. Sally specialises in helping professional people dress with confidence and create a wardrobe that plays to their strengths.

Knowing what to wear for your personal branding photoshoot can be daunting to say the least! There are so many elements to tackle when setting up your business it’s easy to overlook the importance of preparing what to wear for your shoot. You need to consider the message you want to project, have outfits that you feel great in and wear colours that complement your brand palette. That’s a lot to think about so planning ahead is key!

Here are my top ten tips to help you prepare what to wear for your brand photoshoot:-

Wear items you feel great in

This is the most important factor to get right. There is no point wearing any garment that you find uncomfortable or have to constantly adjust. It has been scientifically proven that clothes have a psychological effect on how we feel. Wearing outfits that you love will ensure you shine and feel at ease during the shoot.

Don’t be afraid of colour

Colours that complement your complexion, skin tone and hair colour will make your eyes sparkle and light up your face. Avoid dull and drab colours as these will wash you out and make you look tired. If you have a brand colour palette incorporate some of these into your shot. You don’t need to dress in them head to toe but ensure any additional colours work with them. For instance, if your brand colours are pastel green, blue and pink then don’t throw in burgundy. Another pastel or a neutral shade that’s not in your palette would be best. Don’t blend into the scenery. Contrast the colours that you wear with your background. 

Add in some accessories

Accessories are a brilliant way to add personality to your outfit. If you work in the creative industry wearing an interesting piece of jewellery will show potential customers what you’re about. If your industry is more traditional then introducing a beautiful printed scarf can make you look more approachable. Experiment before the shoot with your accessoires and see which ones you like. 

Variety is the spice of life!

You’ll want to show the many sides to you and your business which will require multiple outfits changes. Don’t be tempted to wear different variations of the same outfit e.g jeans and a sweater as this will just show the client one side of you. Tell your personal story with your looks and draw in all facets of your personality. Remember that people buy into people. You’ll probably have a few different locations for your shoot so align your outfit with your location.

Don’t fail to prepare

To get the maximum out of your photoshoot have all garments ready and ironed before the day so you don’t waste any time faffing with outfits on the day.  I know Tricia is very thorough in planning all the different shots so run through the list beforehand and prepare an outfit for each. Taking selfies is a great way to remember the looks and check you are happy with them. Don’t think you can chuck some garment on a rail and wing it on the day - it’s a wasted opportunity!

Ditch the bikini and roll neck

You are likely to want your images to have longevity and to post them on social media all year round so don’t have too many seasonal outfits. Whilst it’s tempting to gravitate towards jumpers in the winter and dresses in summer, try to have a selection of  trans-seasonal garments too. Given our moderate UK weather you should have a few of these already in your wardrobe!

Avoid trends and logos

For similar reasons avoid clothes that are too trendy or have logos as these quickly date. If you work in fashion and/or plan to have regular photoshoots then it’s not an issue. If however, like me, you have a branding shot every few years then you’ll want timeless outfits that won’t look dated in a few months time. 

Get some inspiration

If you are lacking inspiration in your current wardrobe it may be time to refresh your style. You want to feel your best on the day and get the most out of it so consider adding in some new styles to reinvigorate it. Create a mood board of looks that you like by collating images from social media and brands you like. Pinterest is a great way to do this. Of course, you could also enlist the help of a stylist to do this. 

Try every on and I mean everything!

If you do decide to buy new clothes be sure to try them on at least two weeks before the big day. That way give yourself enough time to find a replacement if they aren’t suitable. This is crucial if you are shopping online! Always try the whole outfit on so you see how the proportions work. Sometimes the length of the top just doesn’t work with the bottoms and it’s not always apparent until we are wearing the garment. 

Be clever with shapes and layers

Layers are a great way to make outfits visually interesting and can help with posing too. They are also a brilliant way to enhance your best bits and flatter your figure. Wearing a tailored blazer over a brightly coloured top is a great way to streamline the top half of your body and add shape. Woven styles tend to be more flattering as a general rule. They have structure so contour the body and give it shape, as opposed to knitted styles that can cling in all the wrong places! That means choosing a blouse over a jersey t-shirt and a tailored blazer over a knitted cardigan. 

Remember that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to what you wear. These tips are meant as a guide so always trust your gut instinct when it comes to choosing what you wear. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and well, like you.

Sally Smy is a personal stylist and founder of Queen Bee Styling. Prior to setting up her business ten years ago, Sally had a successful 18 year career in fashion buying working for leading high street retailers.

She now specialises in helping professional people dress with confidence and create a wardrobe that plays to their strengths. 

If you would like Sally’s help to create outfits you love for your photoshoot please drop her a line.